Egyptian Mythology - Birth & Flight of Horus

Birth & Flight of Horus

Then there is the myth sometimes called the Birth and Flight of Horus. This tale, found in the Coffin Texts, is a combination of two stories. The first is the birth of Horus, and the second is a very old and fragmented myth that the sun burst out of an egg laid by a primeval being or goose floating on the primordial waters before creation. The Birth and Flight of Horus begins just after Osiriss death. The tone is much more serious than that of the Delta Cycle or the Great Quarrel.

The world was being terrorized by Set. Isis dreamed that she would have a son who would avenge her husbands death and asked Atum if this son would be allowed a seat on the sun boat. However, just before the birth, Isis realized that she would be giving birth to a Falcon, not a child. Upon the birth, Atum saluted Horus and told him that he would give him his name after Horus flew to the horizon. While the company was discussing other matters, such as Horuss seat on the boat, Horus flew up on his own, higher than even the "old" gods who inhabited the constellations. Horus proclaimed to the gods below that he would, indeed, avenge his fathers death.

This myth, as mentioned before, combines two others together. According to some sources, there were actually two gods named Horus. The first, the original Falcon, flew up at the beginning of time upon his birth. The second, son of Isis, was forced to grow up in secret for fear of Set, as described in the Delta Cycle myth. The myth of the Birth and Flight of Horus brings these two gods into one.

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